Son within reach of Korea's all-time World Cup and international scoring records
A quarterfinal run would tie Hong Myung-bo's caps record
Round of 16 the floor — final eight the true ambition
The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America is set to be the last dance for Son Heung-min (33, LAFC), widely regarded as the greatest player in South Korean football history.
Named to coach Hong Myung-bo's 26-man final squad, Son will appear at his fourth World Cup, having featured at the 2014 Brazil, 2018 Russia and 2022 Qatar tournaments. The milestone puts him level with Hong Myung-bo, Hwang Sun-hong and Lee Woon-jae as the most-capped South Korean players in World Cup history.
Son has played 10 matches across his three previous World Cup campaigns. If South Korea advance to the quarterfinals and he plays every game, he would draw level with coach Hong for the most World Cup appearances by a South Korean.
Son has not explicitly called this his final World Cup, but the math is telling: born July 8, 1992, he is currently 33 and would be 37 by the time the 2030 tournament arrives.
Son has experienced the full range of emotions across his three World Cups. At his debut tournament — the 2014 Brazil World Cup, where he played under Hong Myung-bo — South Korea were eliminated in the group stage and Son was seen in tears. Four years later in Russia, he was part of a stunning upset as South Korea beat defending champions Germany, then ranked No. 1 in the world, 2-0 in the final group-stage match, though the team still failed to advance to the knockout rounds.
Ahead of the Qatar tournament, Son suffered an orbital fracture during a club match, casting doubt on his participation. He played through the injury wearing a protective mask and helped lead South Korea to the round of 16 — the country's first at an away World Cup — for the first time in his own career. He also set up Hwang Hee-chan's (Wolverhampton) 2-1 winner against Portugal in the final group-stage match, giving Son an attacking contribution at three consecutive World Cups.
Son has scored three goals at World Cups, placing him joint first among South Korean players alongside retired legends Ahn Jung-hwan and Park Ji-sung. He opened his account against Algeria in the third group-stage match at the 2014 Brazil World Cup (a 2-4 defeat), then added goals against Mexico (a 1-2 defeat) and Germany (a 2-0 win) at the 2018 Russia tournament. He failed to score in Qatar, still hampered by the effects of his injury.
One more goal at the North America World Cup would give Son sole possession of the all-time South Korean scoring record at the tournament. He is also closing in on the all-time South Korean men's international scoring record: his current tally of 56 goals leaves him two behind former national team coach Cha Bum-kun's record of 58.
With Son leading the side as captain, Hong's squad opens Group A play against the Czech Republic on Friday (Korea time) at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico. South Korea then face host nation Mexico at the same venue on June 19, before wrapping up the group stage against South Africa at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, Mexico, on June 25.
The 2026 World Cup is the first in history to be co-hosted by three nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — but South Korea's draw is considered manageable, with all three group matches within a compact travel radius. Estadio Akron, the venue for the first two matches, sits at an altitude of 1,571 meters above sea level. The team has already acclimatized with a pre-tournament camp in Salt Lake City, Utah, another high-altitude location, and has set up its base camp in Guadalajara to minimize variables.
Hong's squad has set its sights on reaching the quarterfinals for the first time at an away World Cup — an ambitious target by any measure. Advancing to the round of 16 is the minimum expectation among fans and the public. Experts are cautiously optimistic about a last-16 finish but see a quarterfinal berth as a significantly steeper climb.
yjc@heraldcorp.com
